San Antonio daily light. [volume] (San Antonio, Tex.) 1886-1907, 1887-07-21
CHAPTER w.

will see hin first myself" said Miss Main
tree In her stiffest tone. She was the Prin-
cipal of the Malntree House Seminary, the
prOpriety of which was SO rigid that no let
tiers were permitted to be received by pupils
or gOveTneSSes, save such as could first be
read by that dragon of virtue, the Principal.
She was absent from the schOOl.roOm ten
minutes. The girls looked curiously at
Ethel, and the latter wondered who II could
be- She knew of no clergyman likely to
visit her, and was surprised by the gracious
permission to go to the drawing-rpOm which
Miss Maintree presently yOuchsafed her; an
indulgence due not so much to the reverend
visitors subtle politeness as to the fact, cas-.
ually made known by him, that he had
three daughters of an age to be at school.
You wished to see me?' Ethel said, sur.
prised at confronting short, pOrtly clergy
man, who was a complete stranger to her.
81 do. You look a sensible young lady,
and will tell you right out who | am and
what | want Please don't faint or scream,
or all my trouble expended in making things
comfortable for you will be thrown away.
My name is Peters, am detective officer.
You know a gentleman called Crisp-l see
you do. Are engaged to marry him? Just
so. Well, he has been charged. But
there, read that please, and pray be as calm
as You cam" And he put into her hand al
early Globe, pointing out the report OF the
proceedings Of the Mansion House.
pray be as calm as you canp
She went white to the lips as she read,
but save one faint cry when its meaning
broke puon her, gave no sign of the demon
strations so much dreaded by the detective.
Now, am quite aware, miss, that you
were the lady who was with the accused. If
you are implicated''- did not think after
glance at her face that she was you had
best say nothing. But if the young man is
innocent, you take it very coolly, missp
"And why not?' she cried Indignantly.
"Why should be troubled because false
charge is brought against him. Why"
But then her voice broke, and she cried pit
eously. "Oh, tell me, sir, how can l help
you?"
Saturday." The girl did so and he took note
of it. "Quite So" he said, when he had
heard all, 'but may 1 ask if you met by APP
pointment"'
She colored 81 had message from him
on the Friday morning."
verbal or writtenY'
Neither. l can not receive letters here,
so when Ernest could take me out on Satur-
day-his and my half holiday-he would put
an advertisement in Fridays Standard. 1t
was foolish, perhaps but Ernest had fancy
to put it in cipher, and l, we'll" with a
bright blush-'I liked it because 1t took me
longer to reach the message"
Just sol You'll forgive me saying that
now l know you are telling me the truth. So
will you please explain what that ugly little
bit meansp' He handed to her the slip he
had shown to Mr.. PaIkman, and pointed
out the words, 81 will have rid myself OF our
worst enemy"
Yes. We had silly quarrel. l told
him-Oh, how could I?-that his temper was
his worst enemy and mine. He meant that
as al mean he wished to apologize and
make it up"
Zone more question, young lady. What
should you say if told you that Mr.. Crisp
denied on his way to the Mansion House
this morning being the author of thatY'
"SayP' she cried fiercely. 81 should say
believed him. But still it surprises me.
This message begins and ends as his always
did. Yet remember that thought it odd
that he made no reference to the passage on
Saturday. And it was strange that though
he was half an hOur after the appointed
time, he did not seem aware of it-Or say he
was sorry.
Peters sat thinking deeply. ats cipher
a child could read" he murmured TO him
self. And any one reading previous adj
vertisementS could have identified the Err
nest very likely. 1t is possible that some
one having learned, no matter how, his habit
of corresponding with this girl, has done
this to divert suspicion from himself? I'm
likely; but still possible. Do you know,
miss" he continued aloud, ''Of any one be-
ing acquainted with these cipher mes
sagesT'
Not through me" she answered quickly.
But remember Ernest saying that young
Mr.. Parkman knew all about me, and had
been very kind. But he can not have any
thing to do with it"
mo" the detective answered briskly;
shut he may have told some one else. 1
must go to Richmond tomorrow or as soon
as can, and ask him. We will lose no
time" he added cheerily. "Your young
gentleman shall be free in a day or two.
And hope that then he will teach you a
better cipher, miss-or get rid of any neces-
sity for using one"
On'the tramcar Peters said to himself,
WANTED, some one with two things. First
ly, motive for numbering CritchlOw, and
secondly, knowledge, however gained, of
the relations between Crisp and this very
nice girl. By CAD! This is a new idea
Could 1t be that Critchlow fancied the girl,
and tried to decoy her there with this bogus
message and was found out and killed by
the jealous lover before the girl camel /
must consider that. That is new ideaW